Pope Benedict watching over the internet

Pope Benedict watching over the internet

17th Mar 16:55

The Vatican has said it needs to pay more attention to the internet. A letter from Pope Benedict XVI was published in the New York Times newspaper.

It noted that had the Vatican consulted the internet, it might have been aware of additional information that could have prevented a recent controversy involving a Church bishop having his excommunication overturned.

Afterwards, critics pounced on the news that the bishop denied the scope of the Holocaust.

In the new letter, the Pope wrote: "I have been told that consulting the information available on the Internet would have made it possible to perceive the problem early on ... I have learned the lesson that in the future in the Holy See we will have to pay greater attention to that source of news."

Although the Vatican has traditionally been slow to embrace new technology it did recently approve a channel on YouTube. And the Pope himself suggested the use of social networks to reach out to "forge worldwide understanding".

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